Image Credits: Imago Images
The 2026 World Cup has had no shortage of breakout stars, but few have announced themselves quite as emphatically as Yasin Ayari.
The Brighton midfielder lit up Sweden’s opening group stage clash with a brace of stunning long-range strikes in a commanding 5-1 victory over Tunisia.
It was an all-action display from the box-to-box midfielder:
Stat Yasin Ayari vs Tunisia
Goals 2
Shot accuracy 2/2 (100%)
Chances created 1
Tackles 3
Recoveries 5
A Total Football Anaylsis scouting report from 2022 described Ayari as someone who’s “more of a passer than he is a dribbler, loves to take on goalscoring opportunities and offers a lot in terms of defensive output as well.”
Signed by Brighton in January 2023 from Swedish club AIK Solna for a reported €6 million, Ayari’s path to the Premier League was far from straightforward.
Two Championship loan spells – at Coventry City and Blackburn Rovers – failed to ignite, and by the summer of 2024, his long-term future at the Amex was genuinely in doubt.
The turnaround, however, has been dramatic.
Under head coach Fabian Hurzeler, Ayari found the trust and stability he needed, going on to make 63 Premier League appearances across the last two seasons.
Now, his World Cup exploits have done nothing but accelerate the interest already building around him.
The Daily Mail report that Liverpool, Chelsea, and Arsenal are all keeping tabs on his situation, while Manchester United and Newcastle United are also monitoring developments.
He has just 12 months remaining on his contract though Brighton holds an option to extend by a further year.
That combination of contract length and upside is exactly why clubs like Liverpool, Manchester United and Newcastle are now tracking him closely as a potential midfield addition rather than just a tournament flash in the pan.
The 22-year-old actually responded to transfer rumours while he was with Sweden in the USA, saying:
“I’m in the World Cup bubble, as they say. I don’t have any control over anything. Everyone else is taking care of it for me.”
“I’m just here focusing on the World Cup.”
Whether Ayari ends up staying at the Amex or forcing a summer exit, one thing is clear is that the World Cup stage is only making the queue longer.